Starbucks_and_Political_Influendce

Starbucks and Political Influence: A Research Study Starbucks is a coffee-shop corporation globally recognized for its variety of high-quality brands of coffee, excellent fast paced costumer service, and a welcoming environment for people of all ages to come together to either work or socialize. This corporation offers a unique experience differently from any other coffeehouse because it vends a variety of high quality products such as premium beverages, whole bean coffee, an assortment of fresh-brewed coffees and herbal teas, as well as beverage accessories. Additionally, Starbucks’ convenience extends to providing food/pastry and wireless fidelity that appeal those people that enjoy some quiet time away from their workplace or homes. According to Starbuck’s website, our mission is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time” (“Our Starbucks Mission Statement,” 2011, para. 1). “Every store is part of a community, and we take our responsibility to be good neighbors seriously…[serving as a source for positive action—bringing together our partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day” (“Our Starbucks Mission Statement,” 2011, para. 6). As part of Starbucks’ dynamic team of employees, we comprise an ethnically diverse group of project managers made up of four females and one male between the ages of 25-45 living in the highly populated state of New York City. Currently, our team is facing a dilemma in settling on what political party to donate $1 million to, so that Starbucks can continue to expand and prevail over the universal marketplace. This donation to either party of the election campaign aids Starbucks to gain further recognition and partnership support by means of wide-ranging advertisements from political parties. According to “Starbucks Coffee Company Policy on Corporate Political Contributions and Expenditures” (2010), this donation will also serve our corporation to advertise “public policies of concern to the company and [educate] elected and public officials about [this industry], while providing important information to [its] partners, customers, and shareholders” (para. 1). Starbucks would benefit more from a candidate who has the knowledge of running a successful business, realistic perseverance and keenness to endorse our products to a broader market by reaching out to a greater network of partners. Consequently, the site “About Barack Obama” (2011-2012), confirms the possible potency of this candidate by mentioning that he “created the National Export Initiative, an effort to help businesses compete in the global marketplace and double our nation’s exports by 2015—a target we’re on track to meet” (Jobs and the Economy). Starbucks is a corporation that strives for incessant growth by operating and serving globally in diverse communities; thus a candidate that supports our vision is one whose policies blend in with our corporation’s. In accordance with “Starbucks Coffee Company Policy on Corporate Political Contributions and Expenditures” (2010), “Starbucks supports effective implementation of the healthcare reform law that will enable us to provide our partners with access to affordable quality health care” (para. 9). In support of this policy, the site “About Barack Obama” (2011-2012) informs that “President Obama passed the Affordable Care Act to restore health care as a basic cornerstone of middle-class security in America…[that] helps keep insurance premiums down. Millions of small businesses are now eligible for a tax credit to help pay for their health care premiums” (Healthcare). Romney on the other hand wants to do away with the Affordable Care Act and promote free markets and fair competition. This would promote “competition which in turn drives improvements in efficiency and effectiveness, offering consumers higher quality goods and services at lower cost” (Health Care - Repeal and Replace Obamacare). According to Mitt Romney’s website, his plan to rebuild America economy is based on the notion of free enterprise, hard work, and innovation (Romney, 2012). He believes he can do this by reducing taxes, spending, regulations and government programs (Romney, 2012). This vision differs from that of Starbucks in the sense that Starbuck believes in partnership with their employees, and rebuilding the community.